Ever heard of Dusting? or Huffing?

I'm sure most of you probably know about this, and I had heard a little, but got this email today and thought I would share it. This is very scary. I printed it for my easy child 14 yo to read just to be sure he was aware - which he was. Although I'm sure difficult child is aware of it too, he will be told about it asap (since I'm sure he won't sit still long enough to read this!)

Dust Off- A Serious Fatal HazardFirst I'm going to tell you a little about me and my family. My nameis Jeff I am a Police Officer for a city which is known nationwidefor its crime rate. We have a lot of gangs and drugs. At one point we were # 2 in the nation in homicides per capita. I also have a police K-9 named Thor. He was certified in drugs and general duty. He retired at 3 years old because he was shot in the line of duty. He lives with us now and is still train with him because he likes it. I always liked the fact that there was no way to bring drugs into my house. Thor wouldn't allow it. He would tell on you. The reason I say this is so you understand that I know about drugs. I have taught in schools about drugs. My wife asks all our kids at least once a week if they used any drugs. Makes them promise they won't.I like building computers occasionally and started building a new one in February 2005. I also was working on some of my older computers. They were full of dust so on one of my trips to the computer store I bought a 3 pack of DUST OFF. Dust Off is a can of compressed air to blow dust off a computer A few weeks later when I went to use them they were all used. I talked to my kids and my 2 sons both said they had used them on their computer and messing around with them. I yelled at them for wasting the 10 dollars I paid for them. On February 28 I went back to the computer store. They didn't have the 3 pack which I had bought on sale so I bought a single jumbo can of Dust Off. I went home and set it down beside my computer.

On March 1st I left for work at 10 PM. At 11 PM my wife went downand kissed Kyle goodnight. At 530 AM the next morning Kathy wentdownstairs to wake Kyle up for school, before she left for work. He was sitting up in bed with his legs crossed and his head leaning over. She called to him a few times to get up. He didn't move. He would sometimes tease her likethis and pretend he fell back asleep. He was never easy to get up. She went in and shook his arm. He fell over. He was pale white and had the straw from the Dust Off can coming out of his mouth. He had the new can of Dust Off in his hands. Kyle was dead.

I am a police officer and I had never heard of this. My wife is anurse and she had never heard of this. We later found out from thecoroner, after the autopsy, that only the propellant from the can of Dustoff was in his system No other drugs. Kyle had died between midnight and 1 Am.

I found out that using Dust Off is being done mostly by kids ages 9through 15. They even have a name for it. It's called dusting. Atake off from the Dust Off name. It gives them a slight high for about 10seconds. It makes them dizzy. A boy who lives down the street from us showed Kyle how to do this about a month before. Kyle showed his best friend. Told him it was cool and it couldn't hurt you. It's just compressed air. It can't hurt you. His best friend said no.Kyle was wrong. It's not just compresses air. It also contains a propellant. I think its R2. It's a refrigerant like what is used in your refrigerator. It is a heavy gas.-Heavier than air. When you inhale it, it fills your lungs and keeps the good air, with oxygen, out. That's why you feel dizzy, buzzed. It decreases the oxygen to your brain, to your heart. Kyle was right. It can 't hurt you. IT KILLS YOU. The horrible part about this is there is no warning. There is no level that kills you. It's not cumulative or an overdose; it can just go randomly, terribly wrong. Roll the dice and if your number comes up you die. IT'S NOT AN OVERDOSE. It's Russian roulette. You don't die later. Or not feel good and say I've had too much. You usually die as your breathing it in. If not you die within 2 seconds of finishing "the hit." That's why the straw was still in Kyle's mouth when he died. Why his eyes were still open.

The experts want to call this huffing. The kids don't believe itshuffing. As adults we tend to lump many things together. But it doesn't fit here. And that's why it's more accepted. There is no chemicalreaction. No strong odor It doesn't follow the huffing signals. Kyle complained a few days before he died of his tongue hurting. It probably did. The propellant causes frostbite . If I had only known.It's easy to say hay, it's my life and I'll do what I want. But itisn't. Others are always affected. This has forever changed ourfamily's life. I have a hole in my heart and soul that can never be fixed.The pain is so immense I can't describe it. There's nowhere to run from it. I cry all the time and I don't ever cry. I do what I'm supposed to do butI don't really care. My kids are messed up. One won't talk about it. Theother will only sleep in our room at night. And my wife, I can't even describe how bad she is taking this. I thought we were safe because of Thor. I thought we were safe because we knew about drugs and talked to our kids about them.

Thanks for sharing this heartbreaking and tragic post. The pain and the fear is so real.

How frightening it is, really. All of us I assume that we are loving, diligent parents until substance abuse enters our family. Then we look to see "what could I have done differently? what did I miss?"

With the Dad's background and the presence of the loving trained dog, I'm sure they never ever thought their family would end up as it has. DDD

It is all pretty scarey these days. Its incredible what some kiddos will do to get a high. Hairspray is another, Felt pens, Glue, Silver spray paint and I think any metallic like spray paint. The list never ends.... Its all very dangerous and unfortunately many lose their lives.